If wishes were
by tattereds
Summary: Season 7, follows cannon. Anya is offerred a special gift by Halfrek & D'Hoffrin to get her back in the vengeance fold - a reality altering wish. What will she wish for? Mainly BuffySpike, also AnyaXander. Special guest star coming soon!
1. back in the vengeance fold

Disclaimer - Everything belongs to Joss and all the wonderful people who made Buffy. Transcripts (in italics) from episodes of season seven Buffy. Story's conclusion also taken from a rumoured plot twist that never eventuated, but changed to suit my needs. Main story concept mine.

_**HALFREK**  
It's the talk of the order. They're calling you "Miss Softserve." Tell me you don't know this._

_**ANYA**  
But...who?_

_**HALFREK**  
Listen, Anya. I know I've always been a little competitive with you. I mean, there was that thing in the Crimean War. We laugh about it now. But the fact is, I've actually always looked up to you. You were the single-most hard-core vengeance demon on the roster, and everybody knew it. Do I have to mention Mrs. Cholgash?_

_**ANYA**  
Hmm. Ha. Good times._

_**HALFREK**  
And then you lost your powers. It happens, and you fell for this Xander guy._

_**ANYA**  
It was a glitch. A summer thing. I am so back in the vengeance fold._

_**HALFREK**  
No deaths. No eviscerations. You're not goading women into anything inventive, and you're not delivering when it is._

_**ANYA**  
I don't even know—_

_**HALFREK**  
Waitress downtown wished her husband was a frog? You made him French._

_**ANYA**  
Hmph, he's smelly and with a little moustache. She—_

_**HALFREK**  
Listen, Anya, if it was just me—_

_**ANYA**  
What do you mean if it was just you?_

_**HALFREK**  
D'Hoffrin. The lower beings. They're all feeling the heat. Something's rising. Something older than the old ones, and everybody's tail is twitching. This is a bad time to be a good guy._

_**ANYA**  
Well, what is this—an intervention? Shouldn't all my demon friends be here?_

_**HALFREK**  
Sweetie... they are._

Hally reached across the table and took her friend's hand. This conversation had been a long time coming, and she knew that Anya had to hear it, but she felt better knowing she had something to offer along with this harsh dose of reality to soften the blow.

"Anya, sweety..." Halfrek started to speak again, but Anya didn't want to hear anymore.

"No Hally, I think you've said enough!" she said, and with that she began to gather her new coat and purse (imported leather, on sale last week - she'd thought them both very beautiful and had to have them) in readiness to leave. Before she could stand though, Hally grabbed her by the hand again and gave her one of those piercing stares that they each knew meant she had something very important to say.

"Stay. I want to give you something. A gift. To help you get yourself together again sweety. Trust me, you'll love it." Halfrek said in a meaningful tone. She knew Anya wouldn't leave now.

Curious and intrigued, Anya settled down again. "Well, where is it? Give it to me" she said, forcefully.

Hally smiled. She knew that this was something special, and it had taken her a lot of careful work to secure this gift. D'Hoffrin had needed a lot of persuading, and she had had to fill out a lot of paperwork. Anya would love it though, so it was all worth it.

"D'Hoffrin and I have made a deal," she began, "in which the details are that you may make a wish. A reality altering wish. Any wish your little heart desires." She finished with another small smile. "She raised her arms, ready to fulfil the wish she assumed would escape her friend's lips in any moment. But they didn't come. After close to half a minute, Hally lowered her arms again, looking around embarrassedly. Anya was silent. And she looked thoughtful. This was not going at all to plan.

"Sweety, what is the problem? Just wish that little Xander-roach into non-existence and be done with it!" Hally said at last, unable to contain herself any longer.

"Hally, I can wish for anything right? Anything at all? Like, shoes, or... shoes, right? And I can choose... Anything. Reality altering... Hmm..." Anya was starting to mumble to herself now, and suddenly leapt up, grabbing her things. "I'll call you later Hally. This is a big decision and I need some time alone at the mall to think" she called over her shoulder as she left. She waved distractedly, walked through the open café door, and was gone.


	2. cheers for stopping by

For Disclaimer, see chapter one.

A/N: This fic is going pretty well I think, just taking some time to sort out in what order I want things to happen, and how I can fiteverything in without taking away from the major stuff in the season. Please remember that while the story will obviously be changed, most of the major things from season seven will still be referenced.

>...................................................................................................................................................................

_**SPIKE**   
Manifest spirits controlled by a talisman, raised to seek vengeance. A 4-year-old could figure it._

_**BUFFY**   
(To the phone) Hang tight. I'll find you. These things can hurt you. You can hurt them too. Find a weapon. I'll come for you. (To Spike) Spike, you gonna help me out?_

_**SPIKE**   
This is my home. I belong here. Always been here. Cheers for stopping by. _

_(Spike walks away from Buffy. He faces the wall and puts his hands on it.)_

_**SPIKE**   
(To himself) It's in the wall._

_(Spike turns away from her to put his hands on the wall. He starts to moan softly.)_

_**BUFFY**   
I'll get back to you._

_(She kicks down the door and leaves the room.)_

>.........................................................................................................................................................................

As Buffy sat in her room later that night, thinking over the events of the day, she felt pleased at having secured a way to watch over the new high school without having to go all super-spy James Bond-like, but also worried.

"Spike." The name fell from her lips in a tumbling whisper. Since he'd been gone she'd wondered every day where he was, and though she would never admit it, she'd missed him a lot.

The last time they had spoken was months ago, back before Willow had left Sunnydale, before the last almost apocalypse, and before Warren had shot her and killed Tara.

Seeing him again made her remember how much she had missed him, and she knew she had to go to him. She grabbed her coat and tucked Mr. Pointy into the pocket in the lining for safe keeping, wrote a short note to Dawn saying she had gone patrolling, then carefully made her way down the stairs and out the front door.

> ...........................................................................................................................................................................

Spike could hear a noise. Someone was coming toward him. He shuffled backward into the darkest corner of the room, and sat trembling with his arms wrapped around his raised knees. If it was the changing thing again, the thing that was Glory and the Master and Dru all at once, then he'd just sit quietly til it bloody well went away. As she entered though, he didn't know what to do. It was her. But the thing before had been her before as well. Spike wiped away a tear of frustration and confusion which had been slowly sliding down his cheek. If it was her, the real Buffy, he didn't want to be seen like this, weak.

Spike stood in one swift move, startling Buffy. "Spike... is it really you?" Buffy began, after she had steadied herself again. "You were gone for so long... where were you?"

"Gone love. Went on a trip. Had to go and get somethin' I lost a long time ago. I got it, so now I'm back." Spike replied, shrugging.

"Oh..." Buffy had been expecting a more detailed answer, but remembering their conversation this afternoon, and now watching Spike as his eyes and head moved to follow a beetle's flight path, she knew better than to push for more. Something was up with Spike, and she knew she had to help him. He was acting strangely, even for Spike, and seemed in need of some serious help-age.

Buffy walked over to him and took him by the hand. "Spike, listen to me. I am taking you out of here. Living down here has done something to you. You're coming home with me."

"Steady pet," Spike smirked, "haven't even bought us a drink yet."

Buffy sighed. The journey home was going to be a long one.


	3. guess i'll find out

For Disclaimer - see chapter one.

Thanks to wonderful reviewing people: lilmisscookiemonster, PadfootObsessed329, ms trick, & mirrorkills!! Thanks to ms trick -I have now enabled anonymous reviewing. lilmisscookiemonster -I think you're gonna be curious for a while - Anya's wish won't be coming out til the very end. Sorry guys, but I gotta keep the mystery alive to keep you all coming back. You'll love it though I promise, so stay tuned! Btw - tip! If you're lost where I reference the series, check out a script site to refresh your memory on the eps!

>.........................

_**DAWN**   
Could you die? 'Cause, seriously, speaking for everybody who are me in the car right now, we're very excited._

_**BUFFY**   
Well, I'm glad for all of you then._

_**DAWN**   
I mean, it's just so cool. You're coming to school with me. You'll be, like, there the whole time. (pauses) You understand you cannot talk to me, look at me, or hang out with any of my friends, right?_

_**BUFFY**   
Look, I doubt we'll be seeing each other, assuming I even half-understand my fuzzy job description._

_**DAWN**   
It's not fuzzy. You're, what, dealing with troubled kids?_

_**XANDER**   
At a spanking new Hellmouth High. Please. Outside of drugs and violence and the unwanted pregnancy, and, uh, unleashing of hordes of Armageddon that comes pouring out of the school's foundation every now and then, what trouble could these kids have?_

_**BUFFY**   
Guess I'll find out._

Buffy was having trouble keeping with the conversation, her thoughts back at the house where Spike was quietly nestled in the basement. After bringing him home last night she hadn't really known what to do with him, and had settled on taking him down there only after she had remembered that warm morning sun waking her up would mean warm morning sun burning him up.

She'd sat next to his cot in the basement for a while, concerned for him and thinking about what might have made him act this way. Even after the things he had tried to do to her in the bathroom those months ago, she knew that she still cared for him deep down, and she had to bring back the man she'd come to know.

This sent Buffy's mind reeling once more. Did she care for him? And in what way?

As Xander pulled in to the builders' carpark next to the still-under-construction school, Buffy pushed these thoughts away for now. She had other things to be focussing on now.

>..............................

As Willow piled herself into the taxi, smiling through tears at her father figure waving from the door of the coven's huge headquarters, she couldn't help but worry about how her friends at home were going to respond to her return.

"Which way, love?" asked the driver in a cockney accent. He raised his eyebrows and looked at her in the mirror above his head.

"Airport..." Willow mumbled in reply, as she sank down in her seat. As the driver nodded and started off down the long driveway, she turned in her seat to see Giles walking inside and slowly closing the tall, beautifully carved wooden doors behind him. She blinked back a few tears and bid goodbye to the place she'd come to know as home these past few months and the man who had brought her here.

>..............................

Later that night, Spike stood in the doorway to the Summers' living room, smirking at the confusion he seemed to have caused simply by walking in. He'd woken up to find himself alone in the house this morning, and had taken the opportunity to shower and clean himself up for Buffy. He was still adamant she wouldn't see him in the state she had the other day, but while being out of the school basement was helping, he was finding it hard to keep his composure for very long. He'd come upstairs now because he'd heard the whelp and niblet talking with Buffy about a new bad. He had had to come up, to help her.

Buffy turned to the window to hide the tears of happiness welling in her eyes. He was back. Xander and Dawn didn't seem too impressed with the situation however, and she realised she had yet to tell anyone Spike was now living in her basement. Turning back she quickly took him up on his request to speak in private.

Throughout their conversation in the foyer, Buffy couldn't help but stare at Spike. He seemed so different, so collected now. She bit her lip and wondered - how had he changed so quickly? It mattered little though, and she was just glad he was back to his old self.

"Ball's in your court, Slayer." Spike finished. She was looking at him strangely now, and he felt uncomfortable despite his demeanour. He wondered for a moment whether she could tell it was all an act, that this was just something he was putting on, for her. As she leant in and kissed him tenderly, and he let his hand slide up her back, he knew that she didn't though. He let go of her and stepped backwards, feeling slightly abashed.

Buffy put her hand to her mouth and looked down at the floor. Her eyes shifted to his feet, which were visibly pigeon toed and she knew at once - he wasn't better at all. This was an act. She looked suddenly up, into his eyes, and knew that he was doing this for her. She felt a surge of respect for him, a man who would do anything for her, anything to make her happy. She'd let him keep up his facade for now. It would only hurt him to tear it down.

Spike saw the woman in front of him nod slowly. "Okay." she said.


	4. sooner or later

For Disclaimer - see chapter one

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while - I'm in the middle of exams at the moment!

I'm sad that you guys are confused :'( ... Can you explain at all why it's confusing? I'm sorry, as the writer I guess I just have all the ideas in my head so I know what it all means... Sorry guys.. Yea, just let me know what the dealio is and I'll fix it up for you. I thought that maybe you might have been referring to the continuity of the story in the last chapter, so I've added the three words "Later that night" to the start of the third part of chapter 3 to hopefully sort that out...

THANKYOU wonderful reviewing people - you make me want to write more, and more often! Keep with the reviews, and I'll keep dealing out the chapters.

A/N 2: have edited this chapter after nice reviewers (anyanka & mirrorkills) helped me see i was relying on the script too much. i was really only using it to help readers understand where i was up to according to canon, but yea, i think it may have been a little overbearing. anyway, hope i've cut that stuff out enough, and that you like it better now!

> ------------------------------

_**ANYA  
**What do you want me to do?_

_**XANDER**  
Reverse the spell._

_**ANYA**  
It's not that easy, Xander... ... None of this happened until you dumped me at the altar._

_**XANDER**  
And sooner or later, Anya, that excuse just stops working._

Anya blinked hard and turned away for a moment to regain her composure. As she turned back to face him, she tried not to look into the eyes of the man in front of her, the man she still loved. It hurt to be this close to him and yet feel so distanced.

"Anya, look..." Xander said, speaking more softly this time. "The thing is, I know we're not on the best of terms. But you have to know, you're a demon now... again... and if bad things are happening to people and you're causing them, Buffy's gonna have to, you know, remedy the situation. And for everything that's happened," he put his hand over hers on the table and squeezed it softly "I don't want that."

Anya knew what he said about Buffy was true,but was surprised that he still cared for her enough to worry about her like that. Knowing she would regret it later when she had to explain herself to D'Hoffrin, she nodded slowly and readied herself to reverse the spell.

> ------------------------------

When Xander and Anya finally arrived in the alley, Buffy gave them directions to look after the wounded worm-demon come man, then ran after Spike. She had known he would eventually slip up with his little act, but hadn't expected it to happen in this way or to such an extent. The facade having been long-since abandoned, she new he would now be ready to let her help him. Before that though, she would have to find him. Suddenly she caught sight of him running into a chapel up ahead. She sped up a little to cover the distance more quickly, and was soon inside as well.

She listened quietly to the words he said. He had a soul. She could feel the tears start to gradually make their way down her cheeks. She looked down at the floor as the magnitude of the situation began to sink in. He had gotten his soul back, an unthinkable feat - for her.

As she watched him draping himself over the crucifix at the front of the chapel, resting one arm over each side of the cross bar, and his head in the corner of the vertex, she noticed smoke rising where his body touched the cross, and a faint sizzling. She couldn't bear to see him this way, exhausted by madness.

Buffy stepped up to him, carefully turned him around, pulled his head down to her shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist and neck. She felt more comfortable doing so than she had thought she would, and soon found herself rocking from side to side and patting the back of his hair. This went on for some time, until Spike finally lifted his head and whispered softly "I really do love you, you know".

Knowing this was a sign he was ready to leave, Buffy sat him down on one of the few pews remaining unsmashed by their crash-athon earlier and went in search of his shirt and leather duster. After finding them, she carefully dressed him, while he sat limply allowing her to do so. The burn on his chest was red raw, and she made a mental note to find some burn cream when they got home.

> ------------------------------

Arriving at the Summers residence twenty or so minutes later, Buffy took Spike down to the basement, then, quietly so as to not wake Dawn, made her way up to the bathroom for medical supplies. losing the medicine cabinet and turning around however, Buffy was startled by her younger sister, who was standing in the middle of the hall with her arms crossed.

"So." Dawn said, clearly angry.

"Dawn!" Buffy said, shaken. "Uhh… What are you doing still up?"

"Waiting. For you." Dawn replied. She paused, then continued "So. Were you just going to let him stay here, and hope I wouldn't notice? Oh yeah, because the sixteen year old is so stupid she wouldn't be at all aware of the VAMPIRE in the BASEMENT! Buffy… I don't want him to hurt you. He shouldn't be here" she finished.

Buffy sighed, tired from the emotional stress the day had brought. She looked into her younger sister's eyes, letting her know that what she had to say now was important. "Dawn… Things have changed. He's changed. He has a… He got his soul back, Dawn."

Dawn gasped, and let her arms hang loosely at her sides. She stepped closer to Buffy. "Are you serious? Buffy.. I didn't think... How?"

"I don't know." Buffy replied shortly. "He's kind of out of it at the moment. I think he still needs some time to come to grips with all the stuff that he's done. He's acting really weird" she said. "No, he's acting really insane" she corrected. "Dawn, I think it's okay, at least for now. We'll just... see how it goes, okay? For now," she held up the ointment and bandages in her hands, "he's in the basement, and he's pretty badly burnt, so I have to go take care of that, but..." Buffy bit her lip and looked anxiously at Dawn "I think it would be best if he stayed here, for now. He needs help, Dawn. Is that okay?"

Dawn was dumbstruck. Spike had a soul. "I suppose so" she said eventually. "Just remember, even people with souls do bad things, Buffy. Be careful."

Buffy nodded. "I will" she said.


	5. still love you

Disclaimer - For Disclaimer see chapter 1.

A/N: Hi guys, sorry it took so long to update, still in the middle of exams. I've had enough of trying to remember who Catherine McKinnon and John Rawls are and the principles they advocate blah blah (I'm studying law at uni) though, so I'm taking a break to write Buffy so **nyah** to mean mean lecturers!

I guess I'm going to adopt a new approach from here, and hopefully you'll get the gist. I think reviewers are right and I'm a) using too much script and b) jumping back and forth a bit like a madwoman, so what we're doing from here is, I'm just going to tell you which episode I'm starting at each chapter and you can figure it out from there hopefully. I might still use important snippets of script, but sparingly don't worry. The last chapter was "Beneath You". The wish referred to by Xander was the wish Nancy made to Anya for her boyfriend to be a worm. This one starts at "Same time, same place". Let me know if this format is any better please!

Also, thanks to wonderful reviewers of the last chapter - Anyanka0705, lilmisscookiemonster, jenekle, the shadower, and ainon and mirrorkills who emailed me with reviews and comments. You guys are legends. You rock!

On with the story!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Spike's eyes snapped open with a start the next morning. He was in the basement of the Summers house, but couldn't remember getting there. He tried to sit up, but cried out and winced then flopped back down as he felt the burns on his chest flare at the sudden movement. The events of the night before came flooding back to him, and he began to weep with regret as he remembered the man he had run through. He suddenly remembered what had come after that, telling Buffy about his soul. Buffy - she must have brought him here.

He heard a noise on the stairs and knew from the intoxicating scent that made its way down to him that it was her. He roughly wiped away the tears so that she wouldn't know he had been crying again. She'd seen him at his weakest last night, and he had to make sure it wasn't a regular occurrence.

Buffy was in the kitchen when she heard the short cry of pain signalling Spike had woken up, and began to make her way down to him with a mug of warm blood. She could hear him softly weeping, and tried to walk a little slower and make some noise to allow him time to compose himself. She knew how proud he was.

"Mornin' pet" Spike said when she finally came into view.

"Morning. Here" she said, handing him the mug "I thought you might be hungry. You look like you haven't eaten for a while."

"Actually, you're right love. Haven't exactly felt sociable-like since... Well, for a while" he replied, looking down into the mug and avoiding her eyes. He didn't feel like telling her that the only things he'd been able to bring himself to eat for the last four months were rats and mice.

Buffy was feeling awkward, and searched her mind for something to say. "Umm... Willow's coming back today. We were going to head to the airport soon. Do you... I mean... Would you like to come?"

"Don't think so, pet. Red was always good to me, but" he looked at the basement window which was covered in dark plastic but had the occasional pinprick hole in it, showing that the sun was out in full force today "I don't think it's really a good time."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Later that morning, Xander and Dawn waited at a table in the airport food court for Buffy, who had gone to call Giles and make sure they had Willow's arrival time right.

"What if she just didn't come home?" Dawn worried aloud. "She might be anywhere Xander.. she's definitely not here, that's for sure anyway... Unless she is, but she's hiding and now she's testing us to see if we still love her and... We still love you Willow! We still..." She trailed off. She was rambling, and she knew it, but she knew Xander would understand.

As if on cue, Xander patted her fraternally on the shoulder. "It'll be ok Dawn, we just have to stay positive. Roll with the punches. Go with the.. ooh! Sandwiches!"

Dawn watched him engage in an intricate discussion with the sandwich boy over which is better, egg salad or PB and J, and knew he was a lost cause. She caught sight of Buffy coming toward them with a grim expression on her face. "Bad news then?" she thought sacrastically. She grabbed Xander by the arm and dragged him toward Buffy and the exit.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

That night, as Anya flung herself down on her plush white duvet, she thought about the events of the day. It had felt good to be a part of the 'Scooby gang' for a while again. She'd missed it a lot. It had been nice to talk to Willow and feel needed as a friend again, and she was touched that Willow had come to her. Perhaps they could still be the chums they once were. She smiled softly as she remembered how long it had taken for her to trust Willow around Xander.

"Xander..." She sighed and looked wistfully into the ether. He'd barely spoken a word to her today, and after their discussion the evening before last, when he had shown he still cared for her, this perplexed her.

She didn't like confusion much. It hurt her head and made it hard for her to concentrate on the task at hand - the wish.

The past week the wish Halfrek had offered her had been playing heavily on her mind, so she had decided earlier to start a list of the things she could wish for. It was starting to get long.

Of course, there were the usual things - money, a prettier vengeance face, fame and, of course, money. But she had also added some more important things such as making the weekends a day longer, and money. Smiting all men had been scrapped a long time ago, after she had realised this would in effect put her out of a job. One must always protect one's own financial interests, after all.

Anya thought carefully about what to add next. Looking down at the pen in her hand, pink and fluffy with a butterfly on a spring bouncing at the top end, she carefully wrote one last entry for the night:

'Xander back.'

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Willow sat patiently waiting for Buffy. They were still trying to heal the wounds Gnarl had inflicted that afternoon, but Buffy had gone downstairs a moment ago to check on Spike. Buffy had explained about him soon after they'd gotten home.

Now, alone and quiet in her room, she couldn't help but think of the last time she'd been there, holding the woman she loved in her arms as she slipped away.

As the tears began to fall down her cheeks at the memory, she watched as the raindrops started to shower down outside.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N 2: Did I trick you with the title? hehehe!

Anyway, hopefully you are all still liking this story. I realise there wasn't a lot of action in this chapter.. in fact it was all rather depressing... but I promise to make the next chapter more exciting! I just had to get some of the story out of the way. Let me know what you think of the new format too.. I'm nervous on it.

By the way - guesses for the wish are welcome!! Though I already know what it is, I'm interested to know what you all think it will be! Also, make suggestions for things you'd like to see happen inupcoming chaptersif you like too... all are welcome.


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